Yechury demands West Bengal to come clean on Rushdie row

Kolkata: Asking the West Bengal government to come clean on the Salman Rushdie issue, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury today demanded that it must explain under what circumstances the decision to cancel the author's visit was taken.

"First, the government should say why he was not allowed. Then only we can say if it was right or wrong. The state government should come out clean on this issue," he said on the sidelines of a programme here.

AFP

Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses which evoked extreme reaction from the Islamic world, was to take part in the Kolkata Literary Meet on 30 January to promote the movie based on his novel Midnight's Children.

The author had cancelled his visit claiming that he was forced to do it following threats of being bundled out on the first flight by the police on orders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"On what basis this decision was taken? In a democracy, where you allow all democratic rights, such a decision was unjustified unless there is some compelling reason, in which case that has to be shared with people," Yechury said.